Cristmas came early today. First reaction is delight, as you might expect.

Not having had an opportunity to hold the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens before purchase I was a bit surprised by how much heavier it is than the kit 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Even so, the combined weight of camera plus lens is quite acceptable in the right bag unless you are very petite, which I'm certainly not!

I chose the EF 24-105mm to act as my standard zoom on the 400D as it gives me the range of focal lengths I need for 95% of my shots. That way I won't have to risk dust getting in the system too often and I needn't carry a second lens day to day.

After the briefest of test runs I can already say that the EOS 400D feels very comfortable and intuitive to use.

When I bought the 400D I ordered it with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Kit so I can cover the wide angles if needed. It might also be easier to sell the body should I wish to upgrade in the future.

You are right, though, in that wide angle shots are pretty unusual for me as indoor photography largely concerns my dogs and if they were close enough to need a wide angle they would also be close enough to lick the lens. A good reason not to opt for an expensive one

My only real concern with the EF 24-105mm was whether it was going to be long enough at a 35mm equivalent of 168mm as I had been used to 200mm. For my needs the answer is a probable 'Yes' as my old 200mm equivalent was in front of a lower resolution sensor.

I am going to sit on my wallet for a while now and see how it goes but there is a possibility that I will invest in an EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM if I need the extra length. That choice would be driven by size.

I am certainly going to try to avoid the EF-S lenses, not because there is anything wrong with them but by following the EF route I do keep open the option of a full frame body. It would be nice to use L glass for all future purchases but for the longer end of the Canon range I then run into issues of increasing weight of the lens and decreasing weight of the wallet.